Livestock Dept takes steps to empower rural women

MULTAN – Punjab Livestock Department is taking revolutionary steps for women empowerment and enhancing milk and meat production across the province.

Different schemes to alleviate poverty among rural women have been launched, which are producing results.

This was stated by focal person for Livestock Department Dr Majid, while talking to APP here on Sunday. He said that the department provided free-of cost heifers (cow, buffalo) to 16,548 poor women and widows with insurance facility and free service delivery for period of three years.

The department has also distributed 11,596 sheep/goats among the poor rural women in different districts of Punjab. The department is providing 66,000 ducks free of cost among the women farmers.

Dr Majid said that 464,000 poultry birds were also being given under poverty alleviation programme of the Livestock Department. Beside this, the department also provided training to 25,000 women for proper management of animals. These women would serve as livestock facilitators in provision of services in the rural areas in future.

He said the government focused on school girls and also provided them poultry units. An awareness raising programme regarding milk quality to ameliorate their health conditions by generating awareness for osteoporosis.

It was for the first time that the Livestock Department recruited 107 female officers against administrative posts. The department also provided facility of four-wheelers to female staffer (on hire-purchase basis). The mark-up of the vehicles will be borne by the department, he added.

Dr Majid hoped that these steps would surely help change financial status of the rural women and it would also enhance milk and meat production in the province.